Overcast grey skies and rain breaking suddenly into brilliant sun and rainbows. A salty wind driving the ocean crashing on shimmering rocks. Shivering cold except in sheltered corners between pink blossoming trees where I turn my heat starved face to the sky and receive warmth and glimpses of clear blue and popcorn clouds. Sidewalk gardens alive with purple and yellow crocuses, golden daffodils and fecund green promises of new life: Vancouver – I am home.

So many of you have sent comments and likes for my San Miguel postings. Mucho gracias, I feel honoured and will do my best to respond personally to you all and visit your blogs to see what you have been up to. Culture shock is intense right now with one part of me still walking under the god-like sun of Mexico.

Some of you have asked to see the paintings I made in San Miguel – the main reason for my annual southern visit. I am posting only two tonight, the remainder need fine tuning and photographing. They are all in some way concerned with faces and very different than my previous work – less angst driven. I enjoyed a lighter, more design oriented approach this year, some almost cartoony with a surreal touch. You can see for yourselves when I eventually post them. The two that follow are probably the most ‘serious’ of the bunch. All are acrylic and oil on paper, 11″x15″.